Find Your Passion; the Money Will Follow

Remember Marsha Sinetar's landmark book, Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow, in 1989? It still holds true. Most of us know a businesswoman who got started because she loved doing or making something so much that others wanted to be part of her passion. How delightful to know that Sinetar's words are still true, and that those who've lived that concept have become savvy businesswomen.

In 1989, Sat Kartar Khalsa was already on the umpteenth version of her vision, with more changes to come. As a teenager in the 1960s she taught herself to play the guitar, hoping to  become a singer/songwriter and the next Joni Mitchell. But then one night she attended a yoga class at a college friend's urging, and her life goals changed. The class was in Kundalini yoga, which incorporates chanting as part of its practice. Here Khalsa found the perfect combination of spirituality and music.

Lesson 1: Pay attention to what makes your heart beat faster.

As she explored this new world, Khalsa began singing with a group that made recordings in the early '70s on a nearly year-long tour singing in ashrams [religious retreats] and at yoga events around the world.

Lesson 2: Partner with others who can share your passion and move it forward.

By the mid-'70s, the band members began to settle into more traditional lives that included marriage, children and mortgages. As a stay-at-home mom, Khalsa studied another form of spiritual music--traditional Indian Sikh. Her next recording, in the early '80s, featured classical Indian hymns with a new age sound.

Lesson 3: The trajectory of your business may not always be straight, but even the detours will move you forward.

In the early '90s, Khalsa discovered Hare Krishna electronica music, which melds devotional spiritual music with a dance beat. As her children headed to college, she moved to Los Angeles, a hub and mecca of the music that spoke to her. She discovered there that many of her former colleagues and band members were also returning to chanting. A major record producer saw that chanting was beginning to take off--if Madonna and Sting are chanting, can a new trend be far behind? Khalsa's study and preparation put her in a perfect position to re-launch her musical presence.

Lesson 4: Sometimes you'll have to wait for the market to catch up to your passion.

Lesson 5: Don't burn bridges--you never know when you'll meet people again.

As Khalsa's career and recordings took off and she began to tour again, she realized that selling her CDs at the back of the hall would no longer cover her enormous touring costs. Luckily, she had a backup revenue stream: jewelry. When she quit touring, she had helped her sister with the family jewelry business. Not only did the jewelry enhance Khalsa's music, but she also had a talent for design. She now designs jewelry collections around the music on her albums. As she puts it, "Wouldn't you rather have a lovely piece of jewelry than a T-shirt or baseball cap to remind you of a concert?"

An added delight for Khalsa is that people who purchase her pieces often share heartfelt stories about the memories and emotions the pieces evoke. To touch people's hearts through her music and her jeweled creations is a source of great joy and satisfaction for Khalsa.

Lesson 6: Look for innovative ways to add to your product offerings while staying true to your passion. You may even derive unexpected benefits.

Kartar's career so far is a good illustration of an After 55 woman's life. She found her passion early and explored it fully. She spent another phase of her life focused on family while still broadening her knowledge of spiritual music. When that phase drew to a close, she turned her attention back to fully expressing her spirit and creativity.

Many an After 55 entrepreneur can look back with pride to how she accommodated the conflicting priorities of family and work, and then can look forward with renewed energy to the business of life.